Exclusive: Roman Catholic diocese to fight judge's ruling in child abuse case

In November, Judge Hawkesworth QC ruled the Middlesbrough diocese could be held liable for running the St William's home in Market Weighton – a decision which landed the diocese with a potential 8m compensation and costs bill.

The church is facing claims from around 150 residents of the home and the case revolves around whether the diocese or the De La Salle Brothers, a Catholic order of lay teachers, were responsible for what happened at St William's.

The diocese has now lodged a formal appeal against the High Court ruling, claiming that De La Salle, which staffed the home, should either be held wholly or jointly liable for the alleged systematic abuse which spanned more than 30 years, until the home's closure in 1992.

A spokesman confirmed an appeal had been lodged but would not comment further.

Three claimants have died since the dispute began in 2004, and solicitor David Greenwood, who represents all the claimants, said there was frustration that the appeal means it will be up to a year before final settlements can be negotiated.

He also expressed concern that the diocese had suggested it may not be covered by insurance for pre-1973 claims and has written for clarification.

The diocese spokesman insisted it was indemnified against claims prior to 1973, the year that management responsibility for the home was restructured.

In a statement, Mr Greenwood said: "The Diocese of Middlesbrough has appealed the decision on the basis that it believes the De La Salle organisation should shoulder at least some of the responsibility for compensating victims of abuse at St William's.

"The Diocese of Middlesbrough has also failed to confirm that it will honour any claims of abuse prior to 1973. I am told that this is due to a problem with insurance. I find it hard to believe that the Diocese of Middlesbrough will attempt to escape responsibility for compensating claimants when a judge has ordered that they are responsible."

The compensation claim is the largest involving historic abuse the Catholic church has faced in the UK. Damages claims, mainly for sexual abuse, could amount to around 4m and the claimants' costs are in the region of 2.5m. The diocese's own costs are estimated to be around 1.5m.

A spokesman for De La Salle said the appeal would be contested.